A window into the mind of a movie buff, people lover, sycophant hater, calling spade a spade'r.

Saturday, 20 September 2014

Na sugar Na Spice My Review Daawat E Ishq

Director Habib Faisal

Written by Habib Faisal, Jyoti Kapoor

Starring Parineeti Chopra, Aditya Roy Kapur, Anupam Kher

I attended a wedding some years back. The invite was jazzy, with dry fruits and chocolates. How wrong can you go with the chocolates! It was going to be held in one of the heritage properties turned into a boutique hotel. Now one big reason for me to attend it was the food, an array looking so interesting from renowned caterers, I almost forgot to wish the bride and groom. And then as if as a punishment for my gluttony, when I served myself those shami kebabs, the rogan josh and the yakhni pulao, it didn't taste great and the worst part, it turned out to be lukewarm, almost cold! My foodie world came crashing down.

And now I come to Daawat E Ishq. Helmed by Habib Faisal, who has given some satisfying fare in the past. Do Dooni Chaar, Ishaqzaade as a director and some fresh flavors in Band Baaja Baaraat and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. So yes the Invite was interesting.

The ladka ladki, Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapoor seemed to be aptly ready to get into this arrangement. Add to it Anupam Kher, who still packs in a punch if he decides to. So to be fair, I decided to spend the fare and go to this Daawat E Ishq.

The story of Gulrez Qadir (Parineeti) is of most middle class girls in India, where Dahej, zahej, dowry is the biggest bane even today. The girl's father starts saving money for her dowry from the day she is born. The boy market rate, yes, they are sold in marriage, is decided by their education (Irony died right here), their future prospects and if they are total losers themselves, then they count the flaws in the girls and strike a profitable bargain. How she decides to rebel against this, con these dowry seekers, give them a taste of their own medicine is the plot here, in which she enrols her sweet Booji (abbu) played by Anupam Kher, and sets off to find her marks, starting in Lucknow. As they pass themselves off as the Habibullahs of Dubai and set up a sting operation to ensare dowry demanders, meet Tariq Haider (Aditya Roy Kapur), the master chef at his own family run Haiders, known for its delectable Lucknawi delicacies. Will this meeting turn into a successful con as planned, or the kuch kuch hota hai will lead to firni sweet surrender is what unfolds in the film.

What could have been a genuinely different take involving a serious issue, dealt with a tongue in cheek attitude, including the crafty usage of the (oft repeated) Section 498 A of the IPC which has landed many a dowry seeking monsters behind bars, turns out to be a lazily written script, sparkless dialogues and a predictable unfolding of the third act.

Parineeti does a believable Gulrez till a certain point, then the writing pushes her to do things which are not only predictable, but lack panache, that leave you unimpressed. To see her play a spunky, outspoken motor mouth is turning into a yawn.

Aditya Roy Kapur tries his best to fit into the character of a kohl eyed, heart of gold Lucknow launda, again let down by the storytelling. The memorable moments belong to Anupam Kher, who despite a character changing stance every now and then, does evoke empathy and some laughs.

The Hyderabadi accent, the Lucknawi flavor, all adds up to nothing ultimately. The music, totally uninspiring. So there is nothing left then to lift up the proceedings.

Ultimately it turns out to be a daawat that doesn't live up to its promise. The recipe gone wrong, the food ho-hum.